September 18, 2017

 

Happy Fall, from CommunityCare!  Summer flew by…and Fall brings more exciting and interesting things for our life in Lyme.

It’s the evening of September 10th, and as the sun sets, the Academy Building field is full of kids. A wonderful multi-generational group of old and new friends are gathered under the tent provided by Those Guys, finishing up the last of a varied and delicious collection of pot luck offerings at the Back to School Pot Picnic.  Over 40 people attended, and we are very grateful for those that took time from a busy schedule to join us.

I haven’t used this message to highlight regular calendar items. Please do check the calendar in this newsletter and the (beautiful!) Lyme Events Calendar. Also watch for occasional posts to the Lyme Listserv.

August and Early September in Review:

CommunityCare continued support efforts to the Lyme Emergency Management operations following the July 1st storm.

We Have Each Other

Mariah Lang concluded her 2017 internship with CCL, having conducting seven interviews to learn about how people manage their joys and challenges today. You might enjoy Mariah’s blog post about her experience. Thanks to Mariah’s diligent efforts, the program is well established and will continue with further interviews.There are stories and snippets of wisdom in process. We’ll share more soon!

If you’d be willing to tell us about your world we’d be honored to document your story and learn from your experiences.  Listeners are always welcome. Call Patty at 795-0603 or 795-2028.

Our Hour

Nine people attended the August gathering. Sharing not only easy dialog, but also yummy snacks, everyone enjoyed a good laugh and left having made new friends and plans for an outing or two. A walking partner was identified to make it easier to get some friendly exercise. We also found that shaking the cream into fresh butter for our biscuits gave us all a little workout! Those that didn’t get a turn with the butter used one and two pound vegetable cans I’d brought in. It is healthy to be together for lots of reasons.

A request was made to consider holding the gathering on a different day, so we’ll alternate Tuesday and Thursday to see how that works.  September’s was last Thursday and October will be held on October 10 at 10:30am. Everyone is very welcome to join us. Please contact me if you’d like to join us, or if you know someone who might appreciate a personal invitation.

And the newest ventures …

Neighborhood Breakfast Café in collaboration with the Baptist Church in Lyme Center: We invite you to join us for a monthly (for the time being) visit to your Neighborhood Breakfast Café (AKA the Baptist Church Vestry). We’ll aim for a Monday morning and we’ll begin in October. A menu of the morning will be posted well in advance for your scheduling ease and serving hours will be from 7:30 am to 9:30 am. It will be the “chef’s special” eggs/pancakes/French toast/oatmeal; and there will be fresh muffins, hot coffee, tea and juices. CCL welcomes donations local produce, eggs, breads, and meats, or anything you think would make breakfast special. Guests may leave a donation of their choice. Donations will be used to cover any Café expenses and contribute to the fuel expenses at the church.

Anyone interested in a) coming for breakfast, b) being chef for a day, c) offering suggestions, or d) donating to the cause, I would love to hear from you! 795-2028, 795-0603 or patty@cclyme.org.

CommunityCare Closet

Sometimes you just need a gadget or a car seat or other kid thing for a few days. CCL is creating an inventory of items for such times (similar to the medical equipment the Parish Nurses keep for distribution). We’re starting with items donated by Katie Jenks, following the closing of her child care center.  We haven’t completed building the inventory but as soon as we have a good accounting, a list will be published.  Meanwhile I’m asking for your thoughts…

Do you have an item in good shape that you’d consider contributing, and do you know of a safe, clean location (would haven’t to be too large) where the items could be stored and easily accessible?  Many thanks for your help with this project.

Upcoming Special Events:

September 25, 4:30-6:30pm. Dr. Atul Gawande simulcast at Lyme Congregational Church.

The Being Mortal author will speak on “The Value of Community and Choice as We Grow Older” in Boston to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Beacon Hill Village. CCL is pleased to host a “watch party” and conversation. Doors will open at 4:30pm and the program will stream 5-6pm. Refreshments (thanks to Caldwell Law) and conversation will follow. Click here to view the full calendar listing and RSVP. Please note the location change from the Lyme Inn, due to the great response which has meant we need a larger space.

This is a big week for Dr. Gawande in the Upper Valley! On Wednesday the 27th, Osher at Dartmouth will be showing the film Being Mortal and holding a Q&A at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Auditorium H. For more information go to osher.dartmouth.edu or call (603) 646-0154. The two events are complementary, addressing different stages in the spectrum of aging.

October 18, 7pm. Holding the Net – Caring for My Mother on the Tight Rope of Aging, book reading and discussion at the CCL Gathering Room in the Lyme Center Academy Building.

Refreshments will be served. Melanie Merriman will read from her soon-to-be-released book and looks forward to a rich discussion with participants. Please click here to read the full calendar listing and let us know if you’d like to come.

Thanks for Your Trust and Support:

Finally, I’m pleased to report that I’ve been busy. It’s very gratifying to be able to help facilitate a solution to a problem, steer people in the direction of a needed resource, and (I hope) make it easier for people to navigate this business called life. I don’t do this by magic. Lyme is blessed with wonderful resources and people with whom I collaborate and direct others to. It’s what CommunityCare is designed to do. If I can ever be helpful to you or someone you know, please allow me the privilege of trying to help.

You can reach me any time by email at patty@cclyme.org or by phone at 795-0603 (CCL Office) or 795-2028 (home).

Have a great month. Be well.